How really safe are condoms?

Mar 11, 2006

Hey doc i recently had sex with a female escort who seemed pretty proffesional she put the condom on with her mouth before she performed oral sex and after that we had regular vaginal sex no anal. Anyways the condom stayed on the whole time no slippage or breakage but iam still concerned because i know that condoms arent 100% safe i asked her afterwards if shes ever had any problems with std's and she said no shes never had a rubber break or come off. I did this just because i like to try new things and now iam regretting it since i wasnt really into the sex because i felt dirty since i know how many guys this chick has slept with condom or not. This has never botered me with ordinary sexual experiences where i have alwasy wore a condom but just the fact that shes an escort you know. Iam going to take the elisa test in three months and iam considering taking the pcr in 28 days what do you recommend? Also my girlfriend who has been with me for about a year now is moving in with me from out of state in a month, can i safely have sex with her. Anyways these things have been weighing on my mind i just wish their wasnt such a long window period to get tested i would appreciate any input thanks doc.

P.S. donated 50 bucks

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello,

If your "naughty lady of shady lane" can put a condom on you using only her mouth, she's definitely a pro. As for risk, HIV cannot pass through intact latex. No way. No how.

Regarding routine HIV screening, I do not recommend PCRs, because of their high false-positive rate and cost. A three-month ELISA is all that you need for a definitive result.

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